Bottom feed pouring head



1967 J. WOODBURN, JR. ETAL 3,299,480

BOTTOM FEED POURING HEAD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 13, 1963 INVENTORS.

Jan. 24, 1967 J. WOODBURN, JR. ETAL. 3,299,480

' BOTTOM FEED POURING HEAD Filed Sept. 13. 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 7165 %0c//z um 2. 272, W, (15g a 6 e R 10 Jan. 24, 1967 J. WQODBURN, JR.. ETAL 3,

BOTTOM FEED POURING HEAD Filed Sept. 13, 1965 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 6 K911. .6? if? INVENTORS. Jamzes wdfluwv,

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United States Patent 3,299,480 BOTTOM FEED POURING HEAD James Woodburn, In, Wheaten, and Richard Thomas Ver Haien, Forest Park, IlL, assignors to Amsted Industries Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 308,814

. 4 Claims. (CI. 22-69) eliminated entirely because, in most instances, the mold v cavity is of greater cross-sectional area than the pouring tube and the inlet opening to the mold. In such cases, the molten metal, in passing through the pouring tube and inlet openingand in emerging therefrom and passing into the cavity, gushes or boils somewhat due to the abrupt increase in cross-sectional area from the inlet opening to the mold cavity.

A broad object of the present invention is to provide apparatus and method for eliminating this gushing and 3,299,480 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 "ice FIGURE 2 is a top view of the head shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the pouring head proper, i.e., without the outer enclosing casing;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of a mold constituting a modified form of the invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the mold of FIGURE 5, taken at line 6-6 thereof.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, attention is directed first to FIGURES 1 to 4 showing the pouring head constituting one embodiment of the invention. This pouring head is in the form of an adapter which may be interposed between the pouring tube and a plurality of molds whichin themselves may be conventional. The pouring head or adapter is indicated in its entirety'a-t 10, the pouring tube at 12, and the molds at 14. The pouring tube 12 may be any of various forms and extends generally vertically with a top outlet opening 16 which communicates with the interior of the head, or adapter 10, through which the molten metal passes into the molds The pouring head 10 includes an inner housing 18 shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, without the enclosing casing, but shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 in that casing. The

' housing 18 includes a bottom inlet opening 20 which boiling of the molten metal in passing through the inlet area is gradual and not abrupt, whereby the top surface of the molten metal remains relatively smooth and placid and flows onto and against the surfaces of the mold cavity without turbulence or splattering, resulting in a more nearly perfect surface of the cast product than has been heretofore possible.

Another object is to provide a pouring head whichconstitutes an adapter between the pouring tube and mold, both of the latter of which may in themselves be conventional.

Still another object is to provide a pouring head of the kind just referred to which serves as a manifold arrangement for accommodating a plurality of molds from a single pouring tube.

A still more specific object is to provide a manifold pouring head of the character just referred to which includes a main cavity which diverges upwardly to provide the gradually increased surface area referred to, and which also includes a plurality of pouring outlet openings into which the molten metal flows without turbulence, the

. shape of the pouring head being specially designed to produce that phenomenon.

Still another object is to provide a pouring head of the general character referred to incorporated in an outer enclosing casing between which and the head proper is provided a mass of insulating refractory material.

A still further object is to provide a mold construction having a cavity and a bottom pouring opening, and incorporating an end core which provides a gradual increase in cross-sectional area in upward direction for eliminating turbulence in the pouring operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is-a transverse sectional view through the novel pouring head of the present invention and portions of associated molds;

communicates with the passage 16 of the pouring tube. Preferably, the inlet opening 20 is round and it merges or continues into a turbulence control cavity 22 which increases incross-sectional area in progression upwardly, i.e., in both of mutually transverse directions. This turbulence cont-r01 cavity is defined by a plurality of sidewall elements 24, all diverging upwardly forming an inverted pyramidal shape up to a point indicated at 26 near the top of the cavity. At the top, the housing is provided with a plurality of, and in this case four, top outlet open.- ings 28 formed by tubular elements 30 forming integral extensions of the wall elements 24. These top outlet openings 28 are inclined upwardly, and the top surfaces of the tubular elements 30 forming the openings, constitute aligned extensions of thetop surface 32 of the tin- -bulence control cavity which, as best shown in FIGURE 1, has a low point 34 at the center from which the side portions incline upwardly and outwardly. The upward divergence of the wall elementsof the turbulence control cavity terminates at the point 26, above which the wall elements 35 are vertical, as best shown in FIGURESI and 4, these latter wall elements serving to relatively confine the molten metal in relation to the outlet openings 28 in a manner described below herein.

Preferably, the inner housing 18 is enclosed in an outer casing 3 6 which may be a metal shell of suitable construction and made of separate, but connected, parts to enable its application to the housing. This outer casing is so dimensioned as to leave spaces between itself and the inner housing 18 at substantially all surfaces in which a mass of refractory material 37 is rammed into position for providing insulation for the molten metal in the pouring head. Suitable details of constructionare provided for adapting the casing to the head and securing it thereto, and it is believed unnecessary to describe these details. It might be stated, however, that annular elements 38 are provided around the outer ends of the tubular elements 30, and provided with conical surfaces 40 to form a sealing fit with the molds.

Referring now to the action of the molten metal in flowing through the pouring head, the inlet opening :20 is preferably of substantially the same diameter as the passage 16 in the pouring tube with which it is to beassociated, and thus no change in the flow of molten metal takes place in flowing from the passage 16 into the inlet opening 20. When the level of the molten metal, however, reaches the point 42 where the wall element 24 begin to diverge, there is a change in the flow thereof, that is, the cross-sectional area of the cavity increases so that in a constant volumetric flow the rate of rise of the level decreases. The change in direction of the surfaces of the wall elements from the passage 20 to the cavity 22 is smooth and relatively obtuse, thereby substantially eliminating turbulence and disturbance of the surface of the molten metal. Upon continued pouring, the level of the molten metal rises in the cavity 22 'without change, except increasing in surface area. However, when it reaches the point 26, a portion of the molten metal flows into the outlet passages 28 and in this case also the change in direction of the bounding wall elements is such to produce a smooth flow of the molten metal without disturbance therein. The outlet openings 28 form an increased space tending to increase thetotal surface area of the mass of molten metal, but the wall elements 35 above the point 26, because of their vertical disposition referred to above, tend to maintain a constant horizontal cross-sectional area, with the cumulative result that the surface area of the molten metal tends to increase at a rate similar to that experienced below the point 26. When the metal reaches the point 34 and progressively engages the top wall element at the sides, the exposed area of the molten metal within the cavity tends to be reduced, as indicated by the lines 41a, 41b and 41c representing progressive surface levels, but the surface area of the molten metal in the outlet openings 28 and, by this time, in the molds 14, in the aggregate, is such that there is no increase in exposed surface area of the molten metal after this point, but remains substantially uniform or constant. At the end of the pouring operation, i.e., as the molds become filled, there is a decrease in the exposed surface of the molten metal and consequently a faster progression of the molten metal along the surfaces of the molds, but this faster progression is along the converging surfaces of the mold so that turbulence or other disturbance, such as would produce imperfect surfaces of the casting, is non-existent. The overall result is that the horizontal exposed area of the metal as it rises through the pouring head increases gradually until it is equal in area to the horizontal surface of the metal as it rises in the molds.

The mold cavity 43 may be of the same shape and size as the opening 28, or it may be of other sizes and shapes. For example, it may be square in cross-section and positioned with cross-corner lines arranged vertically and horizontally, as indicated by the lines 4311. In such case the initial drop from the passage 26 into the cavity is insignificant.

The total cross-sectional area of the openings 28 is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the inlet opening 20, so that after the turbulence control cavity becomes full, the linear rate of flow of the molten metal through the outlet openings is substantiallyequal to that through the inlet opening 20.

Referring now to FIGURES and 6, a mold is shown at 44 having a sidewall 46 supported on a mold carriage 48. The mold carriage 4-8 is provided with a central bottom pouring opening 50 which communicates with the central passage 52 of a conventional pouring tube 54. A shut-off slide plate 56 is provided for closing the mold to the pouring operation upon filling of the mold. In the mold carriage 48 is an annular ring 58 surrounding the central opening in which is provided a bushing 60, preferably of refractory material, in which is an insert core 62 which may be of graphite.

Means is provided for preventing turbulence in the pouring operation in a manner similar to that described above in connection with the first embodiment; an end core 64, preferably of graphite, is positioned in the bottom of the mold cavity 65. This end core has a downwardly converging surface 66 which merges into a curved surface 68, the latter terminating at a point on the bottom surface of the mold cavity. Inwardly of the end core is a wafer 70 of quarter round cross-sectional shape and of a dimension substantially less than that of the end core at the knee 72 of the latter. The inner marginal edge of this wafer 70 may be similar to or slightly greater than the diameter of the bottom pouring opening 50, but this difference is extremely slight, such as on the order of A1 inch which, in the dimensions of the kind of apparatus here involved, is from a practical standpoint insignificant.

As the molten metal flows upwardly through the bottom opening 50, it flows outwardly over the wafer 70 and onto the end core 64. The overall shape of the wafer and end core together is such as to provide a substantially continuous surface whereby to eliminate turbulence and disturbance of the molten metal in the pouring operation. The molten metal rises over the surface of the end core, and as it reaches the vertical wall surface 74 of the mold cavity, the cross-sectional area of the molten metal does not further change but remains constant. Thus, there is a gradual change in the surface of the molten metal from the inlet opening to the surface of the mold cavity, substantially similar to that of the embodiment described above.

It is within the compass of the invention to shape the end core 64 so as to terminate adjacent the marginal edge of the inlet opening 50, as indicated by the dotdash line 76, thus eliminating the graphite wafer 70. In the present construction, utilizing the wafer 70. another wafer 78, preferably of asbestos, is utilized. This wafer is in the form of a flat strip and is disposed under the meeting line between the wafer 70 and end core 64. The wafer 70 serves to prevent migration of the molten metal under the end core.

While we have shown and described herein certain preferred forms of the invention, it will be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A pouring head for use in conjunction with pressure pouring through a pouring tube into mold means, comprising a housing member having a bottom inlet opening attached for communication with a pouring tube, the housing member having a plurality of top outlet openings attached for communication with the cavity of the mold means, the housing member having a turbulence control cavity extending between the bottom inlet opening and the top outlet opening increasing in vertical projection progressing in upward direction, the dimensions of the turbulence control cavity to the position of the outlet openings, together with the dimensions of the outlet openings, being relatively such as to maintain substantially constant exposed surfaces area of the molten metal as the level of the molten metal rise above the lowermost point of the outlet openings.

2. The invention set out in claim 1 wherein said turbulence control cavity increases in cross-sectional area upwardly to the lowermost point of the outlet openings and thereabove continuing vertically in uniform cross sectional area whereby the total exposed area of the metal in the turbulence control cavity and in the outlet openings remains substantially constant as the level rises above the lowermost point of the outlet openings.

3. The invention set out in claim 2 wherein said outlet openings are of substantially the same total crosssectional area as the cross-sectional area of the inlet openings.

4. The invention set out in claim 2 wherein the turbulence control cavity has a top wall element of which the central portion constitutes its lowest point and the side portions thereof diverge outwardly and upwardly therefrom, and the outlet openings are inclined upwardly in alignment with the side portions of the top Wall element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Tarmann 22209 Zickefoose 22209 Sylvester 2269 Sylvester 2269 Wagstafi 222209 I. SPENCER OVERHOLSTER, Primary Examiner.

R. S. ANNEAR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A POURING HEAD FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH PRESSURE POURING THROUGH A POURING TUBE INTO MOLD MEANS, COMPRISING A HOUSING MEMBER HAVING A BOTTOM INLET OPENING ATTACHED FOR COMMUNICATION WITH A POURING TUBE, THE HOUSING MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF TOP OUTLET OPENINGS ATTACHED FOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE CAVITY OF A THE MOLD MEANS, THE HOUSING MEMBER HAVING A TURBULENCE CONTROL CAVITY EXTENDING BETWEEN THE BOTTOM INLET OPENING AND THE TOP OUTLET OPENING INCREASING IN VERTICAL PROJECTION PROGRESSING IN UPWARD DIRECTION, THE DIMENSIONS OF THE TURBULENCE CONTROL CAVITY TO THE POSITION OF THE OUTLET OPENINGS, TOGETHER WITH THE DIMENSIONS OF THE OUTLET OPENINGS, BEING RELATIVELY SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT EXPOSED SURFACES AREA OF THE MOLTEN METAL AS THE LEVEL OF THE MOLTEN METAL RISES ABOVE THE LOWERMOST POINT OF THE OUTLET OPENINGS. 